What's eating my plants?

[KyMama]

I'm thinking rabbits.  If it is rabbits, what's the best way to protect the plants in my raised beds?  I don't want to add a fence that I'll have to reach over and my supports create their own problems if I try to drape any netting over the whole bed.  How short of a fence could I add right around the beds to keep them out?  I'd like to add a fence around the whole area, but by the time I could get one done I wouldn't have any plants left.  

Thanks

  

[adirondackgal]

I have had a wood chuck eat my plants. Chewed off my beans, yellow squash and zucchini and left the stems.

[northerngardener]

Looks like cutworms to me. Rabbits usually don't eat tomato plants. Dig in the soil around the base of the plant and you will often find them. They eat at night and hide in the soil in the day.
ccognh.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/pests-in-the-garden-cutworms/

[seaeagle]

It could be cutworms,but cutworms will not usually climb over rough surfaces like cinder block, I don't think, but I could be wrong. Maybe they got in with some dirt you put in there?Like northerngardener said dig around the plant and see if you can find a cutworm, and sometimes you have to look hard , because they blend in well with the soil.They are usually within an inch or two from the surface. Do you have mockingbirds?One year mockingbirds decided to build their nest using my tomato plants.I think either cutworms or something with wings.One more thing, did you see any of the plant on the ground because cutworms never eat the whole plant, it is always some lying on the ground.

[Callie]

I think a cut worm eats around the stem and causes it to fall over. Might be slugs but not if it's a tomato plant.

[KyMama]

Sorry ya'll, I should have gave you more information I was just so mad this morning that I forgot. lol The picture on the left was a red bell pepper and the middle picture is a roma tomato. I planted these Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning was when I saw the damage to the tomato plants. I don't know if you can see the pots that are sitting on the blocks, but I used those to cover the tomato plants last night and there was no more damage to them. However, I ran out of pots and couldn't cover the peppers and whatever it is got the pepper last night. It was like that this morning when I went out to take the pots off the tomatoes. The only thing left around the pepper plant is that one leaf you see in the picture, and there was nothing left around the tomato plants at all.

I'll dig around in the dirt and see if I can find anything. As far as critters go we have groundhogs, rabbits, chipmunks, all kinds of birds and one squirrel in the neighborhood.

If it's not cutworms do y'all think bird netting would keep everything else out if I get it fastened down good around the edges?

Thank you!

[Deleted]

Looks like the dreaded tomato worm!

[seaeagle]

I guess it could be a small animal, I thought that was a before and after picture of your tomato plant, and never known small animals to eat tomato leaves like that, because they are poisonous.Maybe put some chicken wire around the plants or netting around the whole bed.Its not a cutworm, I don't think now

[KyMama]

Yesterday evening I went out and sifted through the dirt and looked closely on the plants, but I didn't find anything. We had to run to the store so I bought some netting and covered the whole bed. There's no new damage this morning so hopefully it's a furry or flying critter because I can keep them out. I wish I knew for sure, but without a game camera there's no way for me to know. I guess I'll get started on a fence around the garden area.

Thank you

[Deleted]

I've mixed up garlic pepper tea & sprayed to deter things eating myplants. Its easy-3,4 jalapeos or 2 habenaros, 3-4 garlic buds, in a blender w/some water. strain & put in a spray bottle w/euf water to 3/4 fill.
I have RUST all ovr my holly hocks! Sprayed w/diluted H202 several times but it won't quit raining & have to spray again. Might try baking soda mix next...

[Deleted]

There may be a difference in what folks call a cut worm, but to me they're those little millipede looking worms that roll up in a ball once they get dug up. Those type I believe just go for the roots. I've had some wooly-booger looking worms this year that were furry and light tan colored. They were making short work of the leaves on my butter beans. Had their little lives been extended, I'm sure they could have stripped a plant to look like the photo. Alas, same as the two rabbits who also could strip a Blue Lake plant down to nothing in short order. I lost about 30 percent of the pole beans in one day, found it in the morning visit, and waited until just before dark until they came out of hiding to try their luck again. It took some concentrated convincing, but they've agreed not to come back.

[ketoriverfarm]

Speaking of cutworms, I am looking for solutions. We get them every year.

[Deleted]

Hornworm.